Hinge



\ Oct. 17, 1944.

E. E. NOFZINGER HINGE Filed April 6, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Oct. 17, 1944. 5 o zm 2,360,512

HINGE Filed April e, 1942 {sheets-sheet s INVENTOR. 54E; 5 A/arzm/gae CM elk Patented Oct. 17, 1944 UNITED STATES HINGE Earl E. Nofzinger, Greenville, Mich., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Gibson Refrigerator Company, Greenville, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application April 6, 1942, Serial No. 437,823

3' Claims.

posed of two pivotally connected elements and ornamental covers for each of said elements formed so as to cooperate with each other to substantially completely conceal both of said elements. Another object of the invention is to provide a hinge composed of two pivotally connected elements, shaped to receive and cooperate with a pair of ornamental covers to hold the covers and hinge elements together.

These objects and others ancillary thereto will more fully appear in the following specification when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a hinge which forms a part of this invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the hinge;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the hinge;

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of the cover for one element of the hinge;

Figure 5 is a front elevational view of the cover shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the same cover;

Figure '7 is a side elevational view of the cover for the other element of the hinge;

Figure 8 is a front elevational view of the cover shown in Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a top plan view of the cover of Fig.- ure 7;

Figure 10 is a side elevational view of the hinge with the covers in place thereon, taken on the line I0-I (I of Figure 12;

Figure 11 is a front elevational view of the assembly shown in Figure 10;

Figure 12 is a top plan view of the hinge and cover assembly attached to two relatively movable members, such as a door and door casing;

Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of the hinge and one cover showing the method of applying the cover thereto; and

Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view of the hinge showing the method of applying the other cover to the hinge,

In general, the invention comprises a hinge including two pivotally connected hinge elements and separate resilient ornamental covers for the two elements secured thereto by snap engagement. The two covers are constructed and arranged to cooperate with each other to conceal the two hinge elements. That is, the cover for one element conceals a part of the latter, while the cover for the other element conceals the rest of the first element and the other element.

The hinge itself is shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, and comprises two elements I3 and I4 pivotally connected together by pintles 28. Both elements are of U-shaped configuration. The element I3 has a base portion I"! and a pair of legs I8 and I9. The base portion I7 is of arcuate cross-section, and is provided with apertures 20 for the reception of screws by which the base portion I1 is attached to one of a pair of relatively movable members. The base portion is also provided with transverse grooves 2| for a purpose which will presently appear. The legs I8 and I9 extend laterally outwardly at right angles to the base of the element l3.

The element I4 is U-shaped also. Its base portion 22 is provided with apertures 23 for the reception of screws by which the element may be attached to the other of a pair of relatively movable members. The element I4 also has legs 24 and 25 extending laterally outwardly at right angles to the base 22. The base 22 of the element I4 is slightly narrower in width than the legs 24 and 25 thereof, so as to provide shoulders 26 and 21 (see Figure 3), the purpose of which will appear presently. The legs of the element I4 are inserted between the legs of the element I3 and are pivotally connected thereto adjacent their extremities by a pair of pintles 28. As will be evident from the various figures, the element I4 can move through an arc of or a little more, relative to the element 'I3, about the axes of the pintles 28,

A cover I5 for the element I3 is shown in Figures 4 to 6. The cover I5 preferably is molded in one piece as a thin walled, hollow structure from a suitable plastic composition. The cover comprises a pair of side walls 29 joined together at their left hand edges (as viewed in Figure 4) by three spaced apart straps 30. The top and bottom ends of the side walls are joined by end walls 3|. At their right hand edges the walls 29 are joined by front walls 32. The Walls 3| and 32 at each end of the cover I5 are integral with each other and terminate at the points indicated by the numerals 43 and 44 respectively.

On the inner surface of the side walls 29 are four ribs or abutments 35. The ribs 35 are arranged in pairs and the pairs are spaced apart vertically a distance equal to the distance between the remote surfaces of the legs I8 and IQ of the hinge "element I3, so that these ribs engage the outer surface of the legs I8 and I9 when the cover I5 is mounted on the hinge element I3 as hereinafter described.

The end and front walls 3I and 32 of the cover I5 are provided with a central groove 33 which receives a thin strip of polished metal 36 or other substance (see Figures 10 and 11), preferably of a color contrasting with that of the rest of the cover, in order to enhance the appearance of the cover. The ends of the strip 36 are bent over inside of the walls 3I and 32 at the ends 43 and 44 and are crimped down to hold the strip in place. The side walls 29 of the cover are ribbed at 34 to aid in obtaining a firm grip on the cover by the operator when the cover is to be attached to or detached from the hinge. The ribs also add to the ornamental effect of the cover.

The cover I6 for the element I4 is illustrated in Figures '7 to 9. The cover I6 is generally channelshaped in cross-section, as shown in Figure 9, having a web 31 and side walls 38 and 39. Its cross section is uniform throughout its length and it can be extruded from suitable plastic material. The side walls of the channel adjacent their free extremities are normally spaced apart a distance somewhat less than the width of the base 22 of the element I4 of the hinge. One side wall 38 of the cover is provided with a longitudinal rib 4|. The side wall 39 of the channel is provided with a longitudinally extending groove 40 for the reception of a strip of polished metal 36a or other suitable material, which is identical to strip 36 heretofore mentioned and cooperates therewith as an ornamental trim for the two covers (see Figure 11). Strip 36a is secured to cover !'I by bending the ends of the strip over the opposite ends of the cover.

The covers I5 and I6 are secured to the respective hinge elements I3 and I4 as shown in Figures 10 to 12, and held thereon by snap engagement. The bases of the two hinge elements I3 and M are juxtaposed to two relatively movable members II} and II, such as a door casing and door, respectively, (Figure 12). The hinge elements are secured to the members II] and II by screws (not shown) inserted through the apertures 29 and 23. When the parts are so assembled the hinge is substantially completely concealed in all positions of movement of the two elements thereof relative to each other.

In other words, the surfaces of the base portions I! and 22 of the two hinge elements juxtaposed to the members I and II are concealed by those members. The side edges of the base I and legs I 8 and I9, and the surfaces of the legs I8 and I9 remote from each other are concealed by the cover I5. The cover I conceals all surfaces of the element I4 except the remote surfaces of the two legs 24 and 25 and the surface of the base 22 that touches the member I I. These surfaces are concealed by the legs of the element I3 and the member II respectively. The cover I 6 also conceals the surface of the base II of the element I3 remote from the member ID, and the surfaces of the legs I8 and I9 adjacent each other.

The covers are applied to the hinge elements in the manner and in the sequence shown in Figures 13 and 14. The cover I5 is first applied to the hinge element I3. The cover is flexed as indicated in Figure 13, and the leg I9 is inserted between the side walls 29 of the cover and against the bottom pair of ribs 35. The upper part of the cover is then snapped over the upper leg I8 of the hinge element. The leg I8 fits between the Side walls 29 and against the upper pair of ribs 35. The straps 30 fit within the grooves 2| in the base II of the element I3 to aid in holding the cover in place. The straps 30 are wholly within the grooves 2| in the base I'I, so that the latter can bear against the member In without crushing the straps.

The two elements I3 and I4 of the hinge are next attached to the respective relatively movable members I0 and II in the manner indicated in Figure 14. The cover I6 is then applied to the hinge element I4. The cover I6 is placed in the dotted line position (Figure 14) so that the channel opens in a direction toward the base of the element I4. The cover is then moved toward the base of the hinge element I4. The side walls of the cover spring apart sufficiently to embrace the side edges of the legs of the element I4, and when the web of the channel contacts the extremities of the legs of the element I4 remote from the base 22, the free extremity of the side wall 39 snaps over the shoulder 21, while rib 4| snaps over shoulder 26 to hold the cover firmly in position. (See full line position in Figure 14.)

The covers are easily and economically manufactured from molded or extruded plastic materials and are readily applied to the hinge in the manner described. Since the hinge is com-- pletely concealed it can be made of a base metal, such as mild steel, and does not require any ornamentation, such as chrome or nickel plating, or the like.

The scope of the invention is indicated in the appended claims.

1. In combination, a hinge element having a base portion attached to one of a pair of relatively movable members, said base portion having a plurality of transverse grooves in the surface juxtaposed to said member, and an ornamental cover for said member, said cover having spaced side walls embracing said element and a plurality of straps connecting said side walls together, said straps being positioned in said grooves.

2. In combination, a hinge element having a base portion and a laterally projecting arm at each end of the base, and means for concealing only the remote faces of the arms and the edges of said base and arms comprising a one piece cover member including a cap at each end for enclosing the arms of the hinge element and spaced apart strips connecting the said caps to each other and arranged to cover the opposite edges of the base portion, said caps being capable of flexing relative to each other to receive said arms and hold said cover to said hinge element by snap engagement therewith.

3. In combination, a first hinge element having a base portion and a laterally projecting arm at each end of the base, and means for concealing only the remote faces of the arms and the edges of said base and arms comprising a one piece cover member including a cap at each end for enclosing the arms of the hinge element and spaced apart strips positioned between the caps and arranged to cover the opposite edges of the base portion, a second hinge element pivotally connected to the first hinge 7 element, and a one piece cover having means providing for snap on engagement with the second hinge element and cooperating with said first mentioned cover to conceal the remainder of the first mentioned hinge element.

EARL E. NOFZINGER. 

